We Shall Always Be Connected
by Rahainia
Summary: In the parallel universe, Rose is left with the Duplicate. But what if there were Time Lords in this new dimension she called home? How would they respond to the 10th Doctor or his Duplicate? What if there was a possibility - however slim - for the Duplicate to regain his Time Lord status? What if there was a possiblity - however slight - for Rose to return to her Doctor
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer - "Doctor Who" and the characters you know and love (or tremble at) sadly do not belong to lil'ol'me. The characters that you do not recognize, well, they are the product of my near catatonic state during my daily commute to work in the morning...only to be put to e-paper on the commute home in the evening._

**Prologue**

A sensation of tingling fluttered about inside of her head, dancing out a quick staccato of pressure on her temples and forehead and neck and eyes. She rubbed her temples tenderly and willed the feeling to cease and desist. If she had been missing her head, it would have been easy to chalk it up to something akin to phantom limb syndrome. She hadn't felt this pulsing sensation before and her body was nearly twitching as it escalated to something nearing pain.

Stifling the urge to gasp as a sudden focused beam of discomfort shot through her body, the woman straightened up and reached over to press a button. The centre console lit up, hues of green and blue filling the room. Usually, she found peace in those colours as it meant her vessel was operating at peak efficiency. Unlike herself it seemed, at least in the present.

She tapped out a quick message, unsure how long it would take for a response to be sent back to her. Groaning, she doubled over as the pain intensified. Blindly, she reached out and grasped at empty air, fingers futilely clutching for something to grab onto. She stumbled sideways a few steps and bumped into a wingback loveseat bolted to the floor.

If it hadn't been so fixedly affixed to the floor, she was certain it would have toppled over with the force of the collision. Eyes, unseeing from the pain, rolled into the back of her head as she stumbled onto the embroidered and well cushioned piece of furniture. Her sweeping hand knocked a book to the floor, its thud unregistered by her ears.

Gingerly, she curled up on to the love seat and rocked slowly back and forth, hoping to find comfort in the maternal motion. Time passed – how much, she knew not – and the pain did not lessen. Its presence filled her. Like an aura of agony, it tortured a white hot blindness through her very being. Not just her sight. Her hearing. Her smell. Her taste. Her touch. Her mind. All of her senses were rendered nearly catatonic from the torment.

What had started off as a mere tickle had escalated to a level of suffering she had never felt…ever. And 'ever' was a long time for her.

Eventually, the pain started to ease, ebbing from her mind as if there was shift in the mental tides. Cautiously, she opened her grey eyes and raised her head to survey the room. Nothing had changed. Nothing was amiss, but for the book on the ground.

She slowly raised herself into a sitting position before reaching down to pick up the book. It was a classic, an old favourite from her personal library, non-scientific and certainly not related to her academic quest, but books were one of the few luxuries she permitted herself. Thankful that the book was undamaged, she stood up and willed her shaking legs to stop.

Walking over to the console, she checked the time. A few days had passed if the chronometer was to be believed. That meant she had been on the couch, without food, drink, or bathing for that entire time. She shuddered to think what her appearance was and made every effort to avoid looking at her image in any reflective surface.

A soft beeping caught her attention. A message had been sent to her only moments ago. She frowned. The original message had been sent by her just before she had been rendered incapacitated. What if the recipient had been experiencing the same symptoms as she and was also disabled during the same time? What force in the universe had such power? What being could possibly have such ability?

"_Your communication has been received. Similar occurrences here and across with all. Investigation pending."_

That was it. No instructions. No guidance. No answers. It would seem that she knew as much as the next being…and that meant nothing was known. She pursed her lips in annoyance, hating not knowing. Her sense of curiousity and desire to know all was limitless, but right now there was no clue to follow towards an answer.

She sighed and turned to go freshen up. A few days on the couch had left her feeling rather…unkempt.

[] DW [] DW [] DW []

Time passed and flowed and swirled and eddied around her and the pain that had once felled her and her associates was forgotten. Investigations had led to no answers and eventually it was scribed as being one of those universal unknowns that perhaps they would come to understand in a future time. People moved forward – or backwards or sideways – forgetting that which had brought many to their knees. The powerful did not enjoy reminiscing on something that had bested them.

The past few days had been a gloriously stimulating adventure. The Great Library of Iveness had proven to be quite enlightening, its holographic viewing rooms allowing her to experience the Age of Illumination of a now-extinct aquatic species followed by the puzzling "Hundred Year Renaissance" that had occurred on a planet with two warring factions. The ability of the Great Library to allow people to experience the contents of its books in such a first-hand manner was quite breathtaking, even down to the sounds and smells of the experience.

Quickly, she inhaled, the nostrils on her pale-skinned face flaring slightly at the increased air flow. Ripping off her ribbon-bedecked safari-style hat, she gripped the edge of the console with one hand and pulled herself along towards the loveseat, its embroidered cushions still plump and welcoming to anyone in the area. Sitting down, she waited as the thrumming within her head increased and then, after several breaths, it strangely plateaued.

Puzzled, she reached up and patted her red hair, ensuring each strand was in the same place she had put it several hours ago. Convinced that her coiffure was in no way suffering, the woman returned her thoughts to the tickling that buzzed her mental acuity.

Running her palms over her paisley-patterned vest with its pewter and forest green and golden threads, she tried to not think about why her hands suddenly felt clammy. Her lightly coloured eyes surveyed the room and she listened, but for what she knew not, for she was alone in the room.

Wasn't she?

A soft beep indicated a message was waiting for her. A flick of her delicate wrist, still covered in beige gloves, resulted in an audio playback of the communication. A monotone male voice filled the air.

"_It has returned to us all. You are the closest. Investigate and resolve."_

She breathed slowly, trying to put up walls to keep the whispering tingle from tip-toeing through her mind. A sharp stab flashed through her head and she gasped, fighting the urge to vomit. The room spun about her and she cried out at the pain coursing through her brain. What felt like an eternity, but was just a few heartbeats in length, passed before the feeling once again ebbed back to a murmuring undertone of buzzing, like insects on a warm summer day.

She could ignore it no longer and, after a quick check of the directed coordinates, she flipped a few more switches, pressed a few more buttons, spun a few more knobs and hoped she would get there – where ever there was – in time to figure out what was causing such a sensation.

After all, she was the Professor, and if something was driving her mad, she needed to nip it in the bud as expediently as possible.


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer – Back in the Prologue._

**Chapter 1**

"He's gone." Rose whispered, the last remnants of the TARDIS disappearing. The wheezing, chugging sound gradually gave way to the sound of the waves on the isolated beach where the Doctor and Donna had left them.

"I'm here." The 10th Doctor…the Duplicate…replied just as softly, reaching for Rose's hand. He found a bit of comfort in that she didn't pull away, although she didn't exactly return the slight pressure from his fingers. "Well, I am, but not."

"But…" Rose spun around, feeling the sand churn beneath her feet. She stared at the man she had just kissed, a rebellious way to make a decision and she wondered if she had made a horrible mistake. This wasn't HER Doctor. Who was she to teach this man to become the man she had grown to love?

"I'm exactly like him…with his memories and feelings, but none of the inabilities or incapacities. All in all, I'd say I'm the user-friendly model." The quip from the Duplicate did not generate the expected smile from Rose.

Jackie Tyler studied her daughter and the man who looked like the Doctor. Questions were etched on her face, but she wasn't sure how to ask them. The pain and confusion emanating from Rose cautioned the older woman to bite her tongue, but then sanity kicked in.

"Does someone want to tell me what's going on?" Jackie piped up. Rose and the Duplicate turned having momentarily forgotten about her.

"Lovely day to come to the beach, isn't it, Jackie?" The Doctor said politely and stretched, raising his free hand above his head.

Jackie frowned at the man. She wasn't really sure what had just happened. One moment there were the Daleks…the next there was a mouthy woman from Chiswick…and the Doctor's twin…and now they were back here on the beach. Jackie recognized the beach; it was the one where the Doctor had said goodbye to her Rose. He had broken her heart and Jackie wasn't sure she had ever forgiven him for that. Mickey was gone, having returned to their home dimension. For a brief moment, that had appealed to Jackie but her life was back here with her husband and new son and, of course, Rose.

"He's him…but not him." Rose said, wiping her eyes. It went without saying which 'him' Rose was referring to. "He's part human…but has all the memories of…him."

"And that's quite a bit for this human brain to process. Not to mention, I'll get old. Not sure how I'll handle that…getting old. I've never really had to consider it before. How does one grow old?"

"Are you here to stay?" Jackie's eyes screwed up at the idea of the Not-Quite-the-Doctor Doctor. Other dimensions. Aliens. Her Not-Quite-Her-Husband alive. It was a wonder she hadn't keeled over from all the confusion in her life over the past few years.

" 'Spose so." The Duplicate conceded. "Not much of a choice in that matter by the sounds of things. Oh dear…I'll need to get a job, won't I? What's out there for a part human with Time Lord memories but none of his skills…or a car?"

Rose ignored the question and turned back to where the TARDIS had stood just moments ago.

"He's really…gone." She slumped.

The Duplicate Doctor squeezed Rose's hand lightly, wordlessly reminding her that she was not alone. Rose looked down at their entwined fingers and frowned slightly. It felt like him but something in her heart new that it wasn't the Doctor she had come to love. Still, it was something connected to him…a part of him (quite literally)…and she wasn't quite willing to sever all of her connections to the Doctor just yet.

"I've a chance to do normal things now, Rose. Work. Sleep." He paused and tilted her face up to meet his. "Love. And all with you. What he feels, I feel. But I'm not afraid or too proud to admit that I have those feelings. Granted, this isn't quite how I had imagined it would all turn out."

"You and me both." Rose agreed, shifting her head so that it didn't rest on the Duplicate's finger. "It's like you're a parting gift. Thanks for coming out, Rose Tyler, and playing…here's your lovely prize."

"Beats what was behind Door Number 2." The Doctor quipped, only to be met with two cold stares from the two Tyler women. "It's quite understandable to feel that way. But he said I couldn't stay back there. I killed the Daleks. I do not regret it. I cannot regret it…especially if it meant saving your life. And we can be together now, Rose. No Time Lord and Human issues between us."

"You don't know me!" Rose shouted out, tears of frustration streaking down her face. "You just met me!"

"Physically…in this form…yes." The Duplicate nodded but then tapped his head. "Up here, though, I've know you for a long time. I even remember when we first met. To this day, I smile whenever I see plastic. I was going to tell you that I love back then…when I, he, was projected…and I'm telling you that I love you now."

Rose gnawed her lip and ducked her head. It was too good to be true. She knew that. Things just didn't work out for Rose Tyler in the long run. The Universes had it out for her.

"Wait a second…how can you have all of his memories? You came from his hand that was lopped with those…Sicko things." Jackie protested. "You haven't experienced what the Doctor experienced."

Rose stared at her mother. Every now and then her mother amazed her with some astute comment…like right now.

"Sycorax." Rose whispered and then turned her head to look at the Duplicate Doctor, silently waiting for a response.

"Time Vortex transfer goes both ways. I helped him to regenerate (or not regenerate) once upon a time…sat near the core of the TARDIS. She's a chatterbox, by the way. Lots of talking and sharing of knowledge. Toss in some Donna-ishness and I know everything he knows. I experienced everything he experienced, even though, technically I wasn't there. "

"That's right. You weren't there, were you? You're replica…a duplicate…an imitation. You're like some stuffed toy won at the Grabber machine in the arcade." Rose's eyes were filled with pain. "You look like him. You sound like him. You even feel like him."

The two looked down at their unclasped hands.

"Then give me the chance to prove that I am him…and me…" The Duplicate pleaded gently. "…and yours."

Jackie's hand flew up to her mouth. That was, by far, one of the sweetest implorations she had ever heard, by far topping anything she had seen on a daytime soap opera.

Rose's head tilted, as if giving the request some thought. It could be so easy to forget that he was a Duplicate and to accept a life with this man who was, in almost every way, the man she had fallen in love with.

"No need to answer just yet." The Doctor looked around, his dark brown eyes suddenly turning serious. "We should probably get out of here. I don't know if we should just be standing out here…in the open."

Jackie nodded.

"So, how do we get a ride?"

"I'll call Pete." Rose's mum offered, reaching inside her jacket for her phone. "Road's up there."

Nodding in agreement, Rose started to lead the Duplicate Doctor away from where the TARDIS had been. The trio was halfway up the beach when a noise, almost like delicate wind chimes floated across the beach to them. Rose and the Duplicate turned and watched, much to their astonishment, as a small blue-and-yellow striped cabana appeared.


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer – Back in the Prologue._

**Chapter 2**

"No!" The Duplicate exclaimed softly, dark eyes widening in delight.

"Doc…" Rose stopped mid-title. He wasn't the Doctor…not really. And while she thought she knew what the answer would be, she still needed to ask the question. "Is that what I think it is?"

"I think it's a TARDIS." He said, awe lacing his voice. "Oh, that's brilliant! Positively brilliant!"

Rose tried to focus on the matter at hand and not the fact that the Duplicate sounded so much like her Doctor. The trio stood on the beach and stared at the cabana, unsure of how to proceed. They were all feeling rather exhausted after the recent battle with the Daleks and emotionally drained from the situation with the Duplicate and now there was this. Rose wasn't sure how much more she could take – she tried to be strong for her mum and Mickie and Pete and even for her heart – but right now, she felt brittle.

"I do hope its chameleon circuit isn't stuck because the idea of travelling around in a cabana…" The Duplicate mused, half to himself.

"Is sillier than a police box?" Jackie interrupted. "Although, seeing a cabana in the middle of Trafalgar Square would raise a few eyebrows."

"I was going to say 'drafty'." The Duplicate rolled his eyes.

The heavy fabric panels on the front of the cabana shifted and they watched as a slight woman emerged. Tan-coloured riding breeches met what appeared to be tall, dark brown riding boots. A billowy, white silk blouse was encased in a vest, embroidered in gold and pewter and green into a paisley pattern. A safari explorer's hat sat atop a prim-looking face, long mosquito-netting ribbons trailing down her back from the brim. All in all, she looked like quite the proper adventurer.

"Africa is that way!" The Duplicate Doctor called out and pointed. He paused and then pointed in another direction, while his grip on Rose's hand tightened, securing her to his side. "Or maybe that way!"

He looked at Rose for confirmation and was slightly disappointed, but not overly surprised, to see that her attention was not him. Feeling her fingers meshed with his, he slowly stroked his index finger along her palm, silently attempting to reassure the young woman that he wasn't leaving her side.

The woman tilted her slightly, listening to the Duplicate's words carefully before she allowed her eyes to scan the group. Slowly, she approached, her senses taking in her surroundings. As she neared, the trio tensed, wary of her presence and uncertain of how they could escape, let alone hide, in such an open space.

"Africa?" The woman asked, now mere steps away from the group, an innocuous smile appeared; one that was neither friendly nor fake...it was just, well, there. Her hands rested on her hips. "I don't believe I'm looking for Africa. Although, come to think of it, I'm not quite sure what or who I'm looking for, so there is every chance that perhaps Africa is just what or whom I seek."

"Who are you?" Leave it to Jackie Tyler to cut straight to the matter at hand and skip over the fact that the strange woman seemingly had no idea that Africa was a continent.

"Me? I'm the Professor." The woman replied.

"Professor Who?" Jackie asked and then slightly shook herself into a straighter position, her jaw slack. Once upon a time, she had asked a similar question. Slowly, she angled her head to look at the Duplicate Doctor. "Do you know her?"

"Nope." Came the clearly articulated response. "Never seen her before in my life…lives. Blimey, I've only one life now! How very…finite."

Shaking herself out of her silence, Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead adopted a stage whisper. "Can we talk about that later? Right now, we have the African Queen standing in front of us."

"Not quite a Queen." The strange woman admitted. "But there is some royal lineage in my blood. We try to not discuss it in polite society, what with the madness and all."

"Ahhh…" The Duplicate nodded knowingly. "Inbreeding. It'll get you every time."

"Certainly not!" The woman sniffed haughtily and then frowned. Leaning in closer to the tall man with dark brown hair, she delicately inhaled one side of his head. Then she leaned over to the other side and took in more of his scent.

"What cologne do you use?" Jackie asked the Duplicate, bemused at the woman's behaviour.

The Duplicate blinked quickly before he sniffed the woman in return.

"Oh my god, what are you? Dogs?" Jackie's voice raised in pitch. "Whatever happened to just shaking hands?"

The Duplicate closed his eyes and processed the scent that tickled his now-human olfactory senses. Still slightly more sensitive than was normal for a human, his brain wracked over the familiarity of the smell.

His dark brown eyes snapped open.

"Time Lord." He breathed, awe once again in his voice.

"Lady. Thank you, very much." Came the rather hoity response. "And you…not quite a Time Lord, but there is something distinctly…"

"Time Lord-ish about me. Thank you, thank you very much." The Duplicate grinned in appreciation, running a hand through his hair. "Nice to know I've still got it."

The woman placed two hands on the Duplicate's chest, frowning at what she felt.

"Only one heart."

"I'm somewhat human…well, actually, a human version of my Time Lord self."

Grey eyes blinked at the Duplicate before she took a step back and surveyed the entire group.

"Are you all…human versions of a Time Lord?"

"Just humans." Rose replied before her mother could shoot off another inappropriate comment. "And you, Professor, say you're a Time Lord…Lady. From where?"

"Oh, a far off place that you've probably never heard of." The Professor waved her hand absently in the air.

"Gallifrey, by any chance?" Rose asked and was rewarded with a startled look from the red-headed woman. "And is that your TARDIS?"

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised very often, but for a group of non-Time Lords you're certainly very knowledgeable. Especially, as I don't think any of my people have been here before."

There was a heavy pause in the air.

"People?" The Duplicate asked, hope in his voice. "There are…more…of you?"

"Of course there are more of me! Why would you think otherwise?"

"We're alive in this dimension." The Duplicate's eyes were wide with joy. "Shame I…he…didn't stick around to hear this."

"Who?" The Professor demanded.

"Me." The Duplicate replied. "Well, the Time Lord me…but knowing that he'd feel like I do right now, let me just say we're both delighted!"

Feeling that this conversation was going to take a little bit longer than she had originally planned, the Professor decided to get comfortable and reached up to remove a few pins holding her hat in place. As she lifted the brimmed accessory, the Duplicate gaped.


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer - "Doctor Who" and the characters you know and love (or tremble at) sadly do not belong to lil'ol'me. The characters that you do not recognize, well, they are the product of my near catatonic state during my daily commute to work in the morning...only to be put to e-paper on the commute home in the evening._

**Chapter 3**

"Awwww, that's not fair! You're ginger! I've always wanted to be ginger! And you get it on your, what, fifth regeneration?"

"Third." The woman replied smugly, patting her smooth coiffure. "Although, I think I might have given up a regeneration to get it."

Rose tried to not gawp. The woman was a Time Lord…Lady. And ginger. And was impeccably dressed. And her Doctor was gone, leaving a Duplicate in his place. Once again, it was beginning to become a bit much for her to handle. The young woman tried to tug her hand from the Duplicate's grasp, but he was having none of that.

"Third. Wow. You're still relatively new then to the whole Time Lord thing." His long fingers tightened on Rose's hand, silently communicating that he was not about to let her go.

"Lady. And I pride myself on being a rather quick study." An auburn eyebrow raised pointedly.

"That comes with the genetics." The Duplicate nodded knowingly. "I take it your TARDIS has a fully active chameleon circuit?"

"Are you trying to gain information from me? If so, you're really not very subtle."

"Who, me?" The Duplicate blinked innocently. "Nah. Just making idle Gallifreyan small talk. We're all about the small talk, after all."

"Small talk, then. How long have you been on this beach?" The Professor asked, looking around at the cliffs and water, and in manner that was a not-so-subtle way to turn the questioning the other way around. "It does appear to be rather desolate and not a place that gives itself to group outings."

"Not long. In fact, we were just leaving." Jackie replied briskly, beginning to feel rather edgy around the woman. The Doctor in their original dimension had tried to help them when it came to the Cybermen. In this dimension, where there was apparently a whole planetful of Time Lords and Ladies, not a one had come to their assistance; or even visited, by the sounds of it, which struck her as strange considering the Doctor's apparent fetish for the blue and green marble. She felt rather snubbed that not a single one had come by in this dimension.

"Oh, come now, Jackie, that's not very hospitable of you." The Duplicate chided. "The Professor was just about to invite us in to her TARDIS for tea and biscuits, and it would be very rude of us to not accept her kind offer."

The Professor blinked, slightly taken aback at the presumptuous nature of the Human-Time Lord hybrid.

"Besides, the Professor here has a lot of questions and we're just the people to answer them." The Duplicate grinned. "Am I right or am I right?"

"You are correct." The Professor admitted.

"Well, then, no point standing out here in the damp air. Allons-y!" And with that, the Duplicate started to march towards the cabana TARDIS, nearly dragging Rose along with him. The Professor stepped lightly to the side to avoid being mowed over by the Duplicate and then looked at Jackie.

"Is he always so…" She started.

"Arrogant? Patronizing? Superior?" Jackie offered and then she nodded. "Yeah. He's all that and then some."

[] DW [] DW [] DW []

The Duplicate reached the fabric panels that were the front door to the Professor's TARDIS. He tried to push the panels aside, with no luck. No door handle either.

"No key." He sounded glum before brightening up to face the young woman still firmly attached to his hand. "Did you hear that Rose? There are more of me here!"

"Not you." Rose pointed out quietly. "The Doctor."

"Yeaa, wellll…" The Duplicate ran a hand through his wild hair. "Minor technicality. But she sensed there was something Time Lordy about me, so maybe they can turn Pinocchio into a real boy…or Gallifreyan in my case."

"Is that what you want?" Rose asked, miserable that she might lose the Duplicate even though she knew he wasn't her Doctor and still wouldn't be even if he was re-made into a Time Lord.

"I want you to be happy." The Doctor said quickly and quietly. He saw the Professor and Jackie approaching and leaned in closer to Rose. His warm breath tickled her ear. "And I don't know if I can do that like this. You don't know if I can either. Let's face it, as a Time Lord, I'm brilliant, but as a Human, I might be rather inept. Not sure I want to be inept. But we'll figure it out. Like we did before. Together."

"You…He just showed up and pushed you into my life. I kissed you and then watched him, the man I love, disappear." Rose's eyes began to water. "I don't know what to think or feel…and now she's shown up! Where was she before all of this?"

"Before all of what?" The Professor asked, approaching nearly soundlessly with Jackie close on her heels.

"Nuthin'." Rose snapped, quickly wiping her eyes.

"Teeny tiny lover's squabble." The Duplicate nodded before jerking his head towards the cabana. "Seems locked."

"Of course. It wouldn't do to leave my TARDIS unlocked on a foreign planet." The Professor extended a delicate wrist and snapped her fingers. A soft click indicated that the TARDIS was now unlocked. "After you."

The Duplicate pushed the panels aside and cautiously stepped through, his hand still firmly clasping Rose's. Until he had a better idea of what was going on, there was no way he letting go of Rose Tyler.

The inside of the Professor's TARDIS was quite sleek. A clear tube led from the ceiling down to the console in the centre of the room. Dark wood, polished to a smooth shine, framed the console with its matte metal panels. The walls were a soft yellow that reminded him of the sun outside.

"Chronological colour patterning on the desktop?" He asked.

"Yes." The woman nodded, still rather puzzled at how this pseudo Time Lord came into being. "I believe it's just a few more hours until your sun sets and the colours will change to reflect that."

The sound of lightly clanking footsteps caught everyone's attention and the group turned to see a woman with a hue of skin that was somewhere between peach and violet, and hair that was an unusual shade of green. She was pushing a trolley upon which sat a full tea service, including tiny sandwiches and biscuits.

"Thank you, Alicia." The Professor said politely.

"Mypleasure, Professor. ShallIpour?" The woman spoke quickly.

The Duplicate bounded over to the woman, again dragging poor Rose with him. She had since given up struggling against his grip.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you." The Professor dipped her head in acknowledgement of the offer.

"Alicia." The Duplicate breathed, peering closing at the woman. Without asking, he extended his index finger and poked her none too lightly on the tip of her nose. "No response. Now, most people would have backed up or gone cross-eyed or…"

"Slapped you?" Rose offered. "Because I would have slapped you."

"Or slapped me." The Duplicate smiled and nodded. "But, you, Alicia. Nothing. Do you get poked in the nose often?"

"Itisnotaregular…occurrence." The words were pushed together, except for the last one, as if Alicia was taking a breath.

The Duplicate frowned at that.

"You're not breathing."

"Breathingisnotnecessary."

"Huh?" Jackie piped up. "How's that?"

"A.L.I.C.I.A." The Professor spelled out the other woman's name. "Automated Live-In Companion and Intelligent Assistant. She's due for service based on her speech pattern."

"Processor glitch?" The Duplicate asked.

"More than likely that coupled with a temporal fluctuation causing a condensing of her vocal communication programming. She's one of the earlier models and our travels must be impacting her inner chronometer." The Professor replied. "Not my forte, mechanics, but I've been tinkering with ALICIA trying to keep her functioning within acceptable parameters."

"If only I had my sonic screwdriver." The Duplicate said sadly. "But I can still have a look, if you'd like."

"Ishouldlikethat." ALICIA said. "TheProfessortriesbutsheisstilllearning."

"Like I said before…new to all this Time Lord stuff." The Duplicate nodded compassionately.

"Lady." The Professor huffed.


End file.
